Digital cameras, film cameras, printers, and other imaging devices can be purchased in stores or over the Internet from the Eastman Kodak Company at kodak.com or other web sites. The web site may provide text, pictures, and even animated graphics describing and comparing various product models. However, the same standard product, defined by the stock keeping unit (SKU), is shipped to everyone who decides to buy that particular product.
Some products (such as golf shirts) that can be ordered over the Internet, or via phone or the U.S. mail service, can be ordered in a particular color with a personalized monogram or name. In this case, the letters of the monogram/name are sent to the location where the shirt is personalized, where the letters are manually loaded into a sewing machine that physically stitches the monogram into the shirt.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,411 discloses an arrangement for ordering merchandise over the Internet. Computers can also be ordered over the Internet. See, for example, the Dell computer Internet site at www.dell.com. Using this site, different configurations of a Dell computer can be purchased. The customer can buy a “standard” configuration of a particular model computer, or can instead select (using pull-down menus) various options. A “learn more” link next to each option enables the user to understand the differences between these options in order to select the most appropriate option. Prior art patents related to customizing computer systems include U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,571, U.S. Pat. No. 5,995,757 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,543, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,963,743. These patents relate to ordering selected equipment over the Internet, but the equipment that is produced is defined entirely by the user selections from pre-existing menus. The user does not upload personal data or digital images that are used to personalize the computers or other merchandise.
A digital camera system, described in commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/137,078 (Docket 79,556), filed Jun. 2, 1999 entitled “Method and Apparatus for Providing a User Customizable Digital Camera”, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference, includes the ability to download, from the Internet, special software components that can be used to “upgrade” a camera to provide personalized capabilities, or to personalize a camera in a retail store as the camera is sold.
The ability to customize a camera after purchase using a memory card (for example, by providing a template background into which an image is placed) is described in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,264 to Sarbadhikari et al., the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference.
The ability to provide camera defect data from a camera manufacturing site over a network to an interactive control node which corrects images provided by a digital camera is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,606,385, to Maurinus et al.
Commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,758,216 to Arnold, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference, describes a single use camera having pre-exposed latent images of symbols that are combined with captured images.
On a web page found at http://www.bestcameras.com/ a user can order single-use cameras in a variety of cover designs. The user can call a phone number posted at the web site and have a template mailed to the user in Adobe Illustrator format. The user can modify the design in the template and mail back the file, where it can be printed and attached to the outside case of a single use camera. The user can also order single use cameras on-line. The user can choose between several printed paper cover style options, and can personalize the cover with a text message imprinted using the color of text that he or she selects.
The camera company (http://www.thecamera.co.uk) enables a user to order customized single use cameras. The customer mails the company logo, photographs, or other literature to the company, which designs a camera for the customer, having a customized printed paper cover for a group of cameras.
Digital cameras are also increasingly being improved with respect to picture quality and image storage. These improved digital cameras, and the products and services associated with the cameras can in some cases be prohibitively expensive. The conventional approach to the purchase of cameras and photographic products/services does not provide a cost efficient and convenient way to obtain and use a variety of cameras, such as high end, high priced digital cameras, while at the same time taking advantage of the vast array of photographic products and services which are available.
Further, the conventional approach to photography and the purchasing of cameras and associated products and services, does not give a consumer the opportunity to bundle and customize specific photographic products and/or services with a selected camera for a specified fee and time; and the further opportunity to keep the camera at no cost, exchange the camera for a new camera or purchase the camera at a reduced rate at the end of a predetermined time period.
It has also become increasingly popular to share digital images, particular over the internet. However, this has been limited to individuals having relatively expensive computers for the capture and/or transmission of digital. In addition when such personal computers are used, the digital data files are transmitted over standard phone lines. Transmission over conventional phone lines generally takes substantial amounts of time to due to the limited capacity of the typical phone lines. Thus there is a need to expand the number of individuals that accept and transmit digital images without requiring substantial investment in equipment such as personal computer.